On 11 July, the ministers of Foreign Affairs of Turkey and the Netherlands
met in the margins of the NATO Summit in Brussels. The ministers discussed
the regretful events that took place in March 2017, which resulted in a
deterioration of the relations between the Netherlands and Turkey. The two
ministers underlined that Turkey and the Netherlands have been two friendly
countries and NATO allies that have many common interests. They have had
intensive relations for over four centuries, have been NATO allies for over
six decades and enjoy substantial trade and investment ties. The two
ministers stated their respective countries’ readiness for normalization of
affairs between Turkey and the Netherlands. They underlined the importance
of strategic cooperation between both countries on a range of issues, such
as migration, combatting terrorism and fostering economic cooperation.
Following this positive meeting at the NATO Summit, both ministers took the
initiative to contact one another again. The Netherlands’ Minister of
Foreign Affairs wrote a letter to the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs,
whereas the Turkish minister of Foreign Affairs called the Netherlands’
Minister of Foreign Affairs. During this telephone conversation, the
ministers agreed to normalize the diplomatic relations between the
Netherlands and Turkey. To that extend the ministers agreed to reinstate
ambassadors in Ankara and The Hague shortly. The ministers also agreed that
the Dutch minister of Foreign Affairs will pay an official visit to Turkey
in the second half of 2018.